October 2-4, 2025
Lindsey Bohra
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The Charlotte W. Newcombe Foundation Welcomes New Trustee, Elizabeth B. Wagner
The Newcombe Foundation is pleased to announce the appointment of Elizabeth B. Wagner to the Board of Trustees. She is Senior Vice President and Director of Institutional Wealth Management for Bryn Mawr Trust, where she leads the endowment, foundation and charitable practice and the firm’s Investment Policy Committee. She has over two decades of experience advising nonprofit organizations toward long-term sustainability and building charitable solutions for high-net-worth individuals and families. The firm’s institutional clients count on her advice on issues regarding endowment investing, mission-aligned investment choices and related issues, and she works closely with growing organizations to ensure their investment policies support their goals.
Elizabeth joined Bryn Mawr Trust in 2019 from the Princeton Area Community Foundation, where she was Senior Vice President and Chief Philanthropy Officer. Previously, she was a strategy and management consultant to nonprofits.
She is immediate past Board Chair of Global Refuge (formerly Lutheran Immigration & Refugee Service) and sits on its finance & investment committee; is Vice Chair and a finance committee member at Princeton Nursery School; Secretary of the Board of New
American Lending; and Board member of the WSFS CARES Foundation, Mariano Rivera Foundation and United Lutheran Seminary.Elizabeth speaks frequently on charitable topics; offers workshops to nonprofit Trustees on governance, endowment, gifting, and strategic issues; is a resource and connector across the philanthropic sector; and is a member of the BoardConnect faculty, teaching Governance. Her expertise has been widely quoted, including in U.S News & World Report and on WHYY.
A 21/64 Certified Advisor, Elizabeth has extensive training in family dynamics and charitable issues. She is a graduate of Smith College.
Areas of Expertise
- Strategic Philanthropic Giving • Estate Planning • Endowments and Foundations
- Board Governance • Nonprofit Development • Charitable Vehicles
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The Newcombe Foundation Board of Trustees announces the retirement of Trustee Elizabeth T. “Betty” Frank
The Newcombe Foundation Board of Trustees announces the retirement of Trustee Elizabeth T. “Betty” Frank as of December 31st, 2024, after 25 years of dedicated service to the Foundation. Betty Frank is a graduate of Vassar College and the retired senior vice president of Lazard Freres Asset Management in New York City. Her expertise informed much of the Newcombe Trustees’ approach to investment policy, portfolio management, and risk mitigation. She also took an active and high impact role in all Foundation activities, advising on governance, administrative best practices, and Scholarship grantmaking.
In addition to her service to the Newcombe Foundation, Betty has dedicated much of her life to philanthropic endeavors. She has worked with numerous community service organizations such as the Philadelphia regional YMCA, Visiting Nurse Association, Girl Scouts of America; and the HOPE Program of Brooklyn, New York. In 2008, Betty and her late husband Charles established the Student Philanthropy Council at The Hill School. The student-led organization was created to encourage students to learn about the value and processes of philanthropy; develop lifelong habits of volunteerism and “giving back;” and provide funds to nonprofits working to enhance the lives of Pottstown area residents.
Betty’s sharp insights, her collegiality as a Board member, and her contributions to the Newcombe Foundation will be deeply missed. Executive Director, Gianna Durso-Finley, notes, “Betty’s generosity and willingness to share her wisdom has benefitted me, the Foundation, her colleagues, the students we serve, and even future generations of philanthropists. She is an amazing role model.”
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The Charlotte W. Newcombe Foundation announces the passing of retired legacy Trustee Emeritus Dr. Robert Merrihew Adams
It is with great sadness that the Trustees and Staff of the Charlotte W. Newcombe Foundation announce the passing of retired legacy Trustee Emeritus Dr. Robert (Bob) Merrihew Adams on April 16, 2024. Dr. Adams was one of several people, including his sister Janet Fearon, whom Mrs. Newcombe put through college. Together, Bob and Janet were instrumental in creating the Foundation upon Mrs. Newcombe’s death in 1979. Bob served forty years on the Board before retiring at the end of 2020.
Read Obituary for Robert Adams
Upon his retirement from the Board, in recognition of his commitment to the goals and mission of the Foundation, Trustees approved a resolution detailing Dr. Adams’ creative and intentional support for doctoral students through the Newcombe Fellowship Program and for graduate and undergraduate students through the Newcombe Scholarship Programs. The Robert M. Adams Legacy Award for Student Research was established at Thomas Edison State University in 2021 with a gift of $100,000 from the Newcombe Foundation. In addition, Trustees designated one doctoral fellowship each year as the Robert M. Adams – Charlotte W. Newcombe Fellowship in Philosophy in honor of his distinguished contributions to scholarship, research, and teaching.
Trustee Elizabeth T. Frank notes, “Bob was in the unique position of having known Mrs. Newcombe and of having been an original Trustee of the Foundation. As such, he was very familiar with Mrs. Newcombe’s philanthropic interests. For all these years Bob has helped to guide the Trustees in keeping to the mission of the Foundation. As a professor, he helped the Trustees understand the college/university world. He was knowledgeable in all facets of the Foundation’s business…investments, accounting, IRS regulations to name a few. Bob was an excellent listener, often being the last to speak and always was able to help us come to a consensus.”
Retired Trustee J. Barton Luedeke adds, “Bob Adams played an integral role in the creation of The Charlotte W. Newcombe Foundation in the early 1980s and his wisdom, insights, and unfailingly sound counsel have been invaluable to the work of the Foundation over the subsequent years. He will be greatly missed.”
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The Charlotte W. Newcombe Foundation Welcomes New Trustee, Damián J. Fernández
The Newcombe Foundation is pleased to announce the appointment of Damián J. Fernández, Ph.D. to the Board of Trustees. He was named the 10th president of Warren Wilson College in 2023, believes in the power of education and interpersonal relations to transform lives. Born in Pinar del Rio, Cuba, and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, President Fernández is a first-generation college graduate. He earned a bachelor’s degree in International Relations and Latin American Studies, from Princeton University, a master’s degree in Latin American studies from the University of Florida and a doctorate in international relations from University of Miami.
Fernández began his career as an Assistant Professor of Political Science at Colorado College. Later he joined Florida International University, where over 20 years, he honed his teaching, research, financial management and strategic planning skills, earning the rank of tenured full professor, leading the Cuban Research Institute, launching the University’s Long-Range Planning Office, revitalizing the Biscayne Bay campus, and rising to the role of Vice Provost. He is widely published—notably as the author of Cuba and the Politics of Passion (Austin: University of Texas, 2000)—and is a National Science Foundation grant recipient.
As the Provost and Executive Vice President at SUNY Purchase, he framed a strategic planning process around broad involvement and community engagement. His reengineering of administrative structures at Purchase resulted in reduced costs and increased interdisciplinary
collaboration. He led another strategic planning process as Chief Executive Officer and Head of School at the Ethical Culture Fieldston School in New York, which resulted in re-centering the ethics curriculum and enhancing world languages and global education. He also advanced efforts to reduce the school’s carbon footprint.Implementing programs that increase diversity, ensure equity, promote inclusion and facilitate access has been a priority throughout Fernández’s career—including his time as chancellor at The Pennsylvania State University, Abington College, where his leadership resulted in measurable increases in recruitment of students of color and the hiring of underrepresented faculty. In recognition of his commitment and success, he was honored in 2019 by the Greater Philadelphia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce as Hispanic Professional of the Year, and in 2018 with the Philadelphia Business Journal Minority Business Leaders Award.
He served as President of Eckerd College, a liberal arts college in St. Petersburg, Florida, from 2020 to 2022. While leading the College through the pandemic he developed a strategic plan, raised $38 million, inaugurated the Office of Inclusive Excellence, established the Nielsen Center for the Liberal Arts, welcomed the largest class of first-year students, and created the St. Petersburg Center for Civic Engagement and Social Impact.
At Warren Wilson College he is leading an effort to reinvent the liberal arts and sciences for our times through place-based and problem-centered experiential learning that integrates academics, service, and work: Our Progressive Promise for All: Education in Action for the
Common Good.Fernández has served on the Board of the American Council on Education and the AGB President’s Council. He is a member of the Charlotte Newcombe Foundation Board and Academic Search Board.
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The Charlotte W. Newcombe Foundation Honors Retiring Trustee J. Barton Luedeke
At the September Board meeting of 2023, the Trustees of the Charlotte W. Newcombe Foundation honored retiring Trustee Dr. J. Barton “Bart” Luedeke. Trustees thanked Dr. Luedeke for his twenty years of dedicated service to the Foundation. In recognition of his commitment to the goals and mission of the Foundation, Trustees approved a resolution detailing Dr. Luedeke’s dedicated service to the Foundation.
In addition, Trustees approved a resolution co-naming the J. Barton Luedeke – Charlotte W. Newcombe Endowed Scholarship for Mature Students, which is held at Rider University, where Dr. Luedeke served for many years. Dr. Luedeke came to Rider in 1971 as assistant to the president. Four years later, he was also appointed associate provost. He became dean of Continuing Studies in 1978 and, in 1983, became the vice president for Academic Affairs and provost. He was named Rider’s fifth president in July of 1990, and was president when the institution attained university status on April 13, 1994. Shortly before his retirement in 2003, Rider University’s student center was dedicated in his honor, and he now holds the title of President Emeritus.
During his tenure at the Newcombe Foundation, Bart was instrumental in expanding the Foundation’s Scholarship Programs and provided significant leadership in personnel development. He oversaw the hiring process for two Executive Directors, and he continued to serve as a mentor to them. His insights and unswerving commitment to the mission of the Foundation guided many programmatic, administrative, and fiscal policies.
The Trustees and Staff of the Foundation will miss his humor, generosity, and wisdom.
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Charlotte W. Newcombe Foundation Dinner & Conference 2023: Best Practices in Supporting the Whole Student
Conference Overview
Charlotte W. Newcombe Foundation and Rider University extend a warm invitation to join us in Lawrenceville, NJ on September 21st and 22nd, 2023 for a celebratory dinner and a next-day conference titled, “Best Practices in Supporting the Whole Student.” We are very grateful to Rider for sharing their beautiful campus and facilities!
Thursday, September 21st 6:00PM – 9:00PM
The evening program will begin with a reception at 6:00pm. Dinner and a short program will follow. The event will be held on the second floor of the Bart Luedeke Center in the Cavalla Room.
Friday, September 22nd 8:00AM – 4:30PM
Friday’s conference will begin in the Bart Luedeke Center. Check-in will start at 8:00am outside of the Cavalla Room. A continental breakfast will also be available beginning at 8:00am, and the conference will officially kick-off with the Presidents’ Panel at 8:30am. Lunch will be served mid-day, and the conference will conclude at 4:30pm.
Presidents’ Panel – Morning
- Father Peter Donohue, Villanova University
- President Merodie Hancock, Thomas Edison State University
- President Kurt Schmoke, University of Baltimore
Moderated by:
- President Greg Dell’Omo, Rider University
- Dr. Gianna Durso-Finley, Charlotte W. Newcombe Foundation
Honors for All – Lunch
- Tim Eatman, Dean of the Honors Living Learning Community, Rutgers University – Newark
Making College Work for Every Student – Afternoon
- Nicole Westrick, Assistant Vice President and Dean, Morgan State University
- Clare Muhoro, Acting Vice Provost for Academic Affairs, Towson University
- WeiDong Zhu, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, Saint Peter’s University
- Andrea Cantora, Associate Professor and Director of Second Chance Program, University of Baltimore
Breakout Sessions:
Morning and afternoon breakout sessions will address the conference theme from a wide variety of campus perspectives and activities.
A list of all speakers with their bios and pictures is available – View Speakers.
Please register for one or both events through eventbrite. (contact lbohra@newcombefoundation.org for registration link ) There is no fee to attend either event as the Charlotte W. Newcombe Foundation and Rider University will be underwriting all costs for Newcombe participants.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Where on campus are the reception and dinner on Thursday and conference on Friday?
Check-in for both the dinner and conference will take place in the second-floor lobby of the Bart Luedeke Center outside of the Cavalla Room. Meals will be provided in the Cavalla Room. All other session locations will be shared on the day of the event, and staff will be available to direct conference attendees to their specific location. If assistance is needed, there will be a golf cart available to transport individuals. Please indicate if you will need assistance on your registration.
2. Is there a campus map?
To view PDF of campus map: Printable Campus Map
3. What are directions to and from the event?
Directions to campus by car, train, or air: Campus Directions
By Car:
From the NJ Turnpike: Take the New Jersey Turnpike South to exit 7A (I-195 West). Follow I-195 West to Exit 60-B for I-295 North toward Princeton. Take Exit 69-B off of I-295 (formerly exit 7A) to US Route 206 South (Trenton). Rider is a quarter mile on the right.
From Route 1 South: Take the exit for Interstate 295/Interstate 95 South (sign says “To Pennsylvania”). Bear right at the junction, following signs for I-295 South (Pennsylvania). Take Exit 69-B off of I-295 (formerly exit 7A) to US Route 206 South (Trenton). Rider is a quarter mile on the right.
From South Jersey: From the Garden State Parkway: take Exit 98 (I-195 West). Follow I-195 West to Exit 1B for I-295 North toward Princeton. Take Exit 69-B off of I-295 (formerly exit 7A) to US Route 206 South (Trenton). Rider is a quarter mile on the right.
From I-95 North: Take I-95 north from Philadelphia to I-295 North and continue over the Delaware River into New Jersey. Take Exit 69-B off of I-295 (formerly exit 7A) to US Route 206 South (Trenton). Rider is a quarter mile on the right.
From the Pennsylvania Turnpike: Take the Pennsylvania Turnpike East to the main Philadelphia Exit 351 and follow the signs to I-95 North. Continue on I-95 North to I-295 North, straight over the Delaware River into New Jersey. Take Exit 69-B off of I-295 (formerly exit 7A) to US Route 206 South (Trenton). Rider is a quarter mile on the right.
By Train or Bus
Amtrak trains for Trenton and Princeton Junction leave Penn Station in New York City and 30th Street Station in Philadelphia. New Jersey Transit provides rail service to Princeton Junction, Hamilton and Trenton from New York City and the surrounding area, and SEPTA provides service to Trenton and West Trenton from Philadelphia and the surrounding area. New Jersey Transit schedules may be consulted for bus service from Hamilton and Trenton train stations.
By Air
Most major airlines serve Philadelphia International, Newark, LaGuardia, and Kennedy International Airports. All four airports are within 60 miles of campus, and all have car rental agencies onsite. Trenton Mercer Airport is five miles from campus.
Need more directions? Call 609-896-5042 or 1-800-257-9026
4. Where can I park on campus?
Print a Parking Pass (pdf)
Guests are asked to park in the area catty-corner to the Bart Luedeke Center, closer to the wooded area. It is marked with a P on the campus map.
Alternatively, if you are lodging at the Hilton Garden Inn, you may also park there and utilize the shuttle service which runs on the ½ hour Monday-Friday beginning at 8:00am and ending at 6:00pm and then utilizing Uber or Lyft to return to the hotel after hours. More information can be found under Hilton Garden Inn below.
5. What are my options for lodging?
Hilton Garden Inn: a block of rooms has been reserved at the Hilton Garden Inn in Lawrenceville under Newcombe-Rider. The rate of $169 exclusive of taxes includes breakfast, internet, and parking. Their direct number is 609-895-9200 or use the direct link below. The hotel is located at 1300 Lenox Drive in Lawrenceville and is 2.6 miles from campus.
A hotel shuttle will be available in the evening to take attendees to the dinner on campus, however, alternative plans for the return trip to the hotel utilizing services such as Uber or Lyft would need to be made. In the morning, there will be an 8:00am shuttle to take attendees to campus and will make a return trip at approximately 4:30pm. If you utilize the shuttle and do not desire to return to the hotel, you would again need to find alternative transportation to your desired location.
Please call the hotel directly and ask for Athanay Edwards for the group rate.
Other nearby options:
Spring Hill Suites Ewing: Ask for the Rider University rate when making a reservation by phone. Their direct number is 609-530-0900 x1000. The hotel is located at Charles Ewing Boulevard, Ewing, NJ and is 4.7 miles from campus.
Inn at Glencairn: Please let the Inn know that you are attending a Rider University conference when you call for a reservation. Their direct number is 609-497-1737. You may also email them at: innkeeper@innatglencairn.com. All reservations include a 3-course breakfast. The Inn is located at 3301 Lawrenceville Road, Princeton, NJ and is 3 miles from campus.
6. Is there a fee to attend the dinner and/or the conference?
There is no fee to attend either event as the Charlotte W. Newcombe Foundation and Rider University will be underwriting all costs for the Newcombe participants. Please register for one or both events through Eventbrite.
7. Do I have to bring my printed ticket to the event?
No need to print registration information.
8. Where can I find speaker information?
A list of dinner and conference speakers with their bios and pictures are available – View Speakers
9. Where can I find the agenda and general information about the conference?
Please visit the Charlotte W. Newcombe website at: https://newcombefoundation.org/conferences/ for the latest conference information.
10. How can I contact the organizer with any questions?
If you have any questions, please e-mail Lindsey Bohra, Associate Director of the Newcombe Foundation at lbohra@newcombefoundation.org.
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Newcombe Foundation Distinguished Lecture — Dean Lisa Rosen-Metsch
Join the Charlotte W. Newcombe Foundation as Lisa Rosen-Metsch, Ph.D., Dean of Columbia University’s School of General Studies presents “Bringing the Lens of Public Health and Social Science Research to a College for Non-Traditional Students.”
Wed, March 29, 2023, 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM EDT (virtual event via Zoom)
A biography and additional information about Dr. Rosen-Metsch can be found on the Columbia University’s School of General Studies website: https://www.gs.columbia.edu/directory/lisa-rosen-metsch
Please register each individual attendee through eventbrite. There is no fee to attend as the Charlotte W. Newcombe Foundation and Columbia University School of General Studies will be underwriting all costs. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions both in advance and during the event.
If you have any questions, please e-mail Lindsey Bohra, Associate Executive Director of the Newcombe Foundation at lbohra@newcombefoundation.org.
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The Charlotte W. Newcombe Foundation Welcomes New Trustee, Dr. John R. Bowlin
The Newcombe Foundation is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. John R. Bowlin, Ph.D. to the Board of Trustees. Dr. Bowlin is the Robert L. Stuart Professor of Philosophy and Christian Ethics at Princeton Theological Seminary. He earned his MDiv from Union Theological Seminary in New York, and his MA and PhD from Princeton University. He is a member of the American Academy of Religion, the Society of Christian Ethics, and the Society for Values in Higher Education, and has served on the editorial board of the Journal of Religious Ethics since 2003. His areas of specialization are Christian ethics, moral philosophy, social ethics and criticism, and the history of moral theology. His courses cover ethics and the problem of evil; ethics and politics in Augustine; war and Christian conscience; and friendship, love, and justice. Dr. Bowlin received a Newcombe Fellowship in support of his doctoral thesis, “Contingency and Control: Aquinas on Luck, Tragedy, and Virtue.”
Upon his appointment, Dr. Bowlin noted, “At a time when access to higher education is out of reach for so many, The Charlotte W. Newcombe Foundation supports undergraduates who might otherwise struggle to remain in school. And when graduate students in the humanities and the social sciences face precarious futures, the Foundation’s doctoral dissertation Fellowship offers hope to some of the most promising young scholars. I am honored to join The Newcombe Foundation Board of Trustees and to share in its important work.”
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CWNF Named 2019 Outstanding Foundation of the Year
At the Association of Fundraising Professionals – NJ Chapter 39th Annual Excellence in Philanthropy Awards Celebration on Thursday June 13, 2019, The Charlotte W. Newcombe Foundation was honored as the Outstanding Foundation of the Year. Foundation Staff and Trustees were so pleased to have been nominated for this award by Fairleigh Dickinson University.
To qualify, a private foundation must … demonstrate an outstanding commitment to philanthropy and community involvement in an effort to making New Jersey a better place to live.
Images from the June 13 event:
